Monday, November 1, 2010

Gotta Sing Gotta Pray and Gotta Have Fun Sometimes

A happy and blessed All Saints Day to you all.

On Friday night, the organ concert at Houston's new co-cathedral was wonderful. If you ever have the opportunity to hear this fine instrument, I hope you enjoy its color and richness as much as I did. Saturday's RCIA workshop in the Archdiocese focused on the period of purification and enlightenment in the RCIA. Those in attendance were engaged and enthusiastic about their ministry. It is such a privilege to be able to help people in their initiation ministry. Here are a few photos I took at the St. Dominic center in Houston on Saturday:

A great big thank you to the Office for Worship for arranging this day. What I did in Houston was part of the "WLP Ambassadors" program. Basically we come to the diocese, free of charge, presenting workshops on a number of topics. All we ask in return is that we be able to set up a little store where we can make our resources available for purchase. This is a win-win, especially for the people who come to the workshop. Many of those ministering "in the trenches" don't get the opportunity to explore the kinds of resources for ministry that we offer here at WLP. And we get to show people the work of our authors and composers. All in all, the day went quite well.

The current saga of the continued "development" of the new English translation of The Roman Missal has filled the pages of this blog in recent weeks. This is a very serious issue. Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I have had my own struggle with all of this. I have never been a big Halloween kind of person, but this year, I felt the need to just let go amidst all of the seriousness. I was invited to a Halloween party yesterday and decided to have some fun. So, folks, here is the very not-so-serious side of Doctor Jerry:

3 comments:

Today is the 5th anniversary of the death of my mother-in-law. I couldn't think of a better day to remember her. She was truly a saint, devoted to her family in a no-fuss, selfless way.

She was also devoted to her faith, even if she was mad at the Church for mixing her Polish church together with the Irish, closing down the school and moving the priests around so you didn't know who was who.

To the end, she walked to Mass every Sunday. But she only went to confession in the language she was raised in. She told me once that she didn't know any other way.

When she died, we sang to Mary in Polish, our voices ascended on eagle's wings in English and we begged the mercy of Agnus Dei. All were the languages of her faith.

Had she lived to see the changes that are coming, she would not have liked them, but she would have kept the faith. She would have found a way to pray. And so will we.

About Me and the Blog

Dr. Jerry Galipeau is Vice President and Chief Publishing Officer at J. S. Paluch Company and its music and liturgy division, World Library Publications, located in Franklin Park, Illinois.
Jerry presents keynotes and workshops throughout the United States and Canada on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, liturgical spirituality, ritual music, evangelization, and adult spiritual formation. He earned the Doctor of Ministry with a concentration in liturgical studies from Catholic Theological Union at Chicago in 1999.
Gotta Sing Gotta Pray is Jerry's blog in which he shares reflections on current events in the Church and in the world that may be of particular interest to those serving the Church.